Study of Safety and Dosing Effect on SMN Levels of Valproic Acid (VPA) in Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Study Description

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Brief Summary:

This is an open label phase I/II clinical trial to assess safety, tolerability and potential effect on SMN mRNA and protein in vivo of a compound in which preliminary evidence supports a potential effect on SMN levels in vitro.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Spinal Muscular Atrophy	Drug: Valproic Acid	Phase 1

Detailed Description:

This is an open label phase I/II trial of valproic acid in 40 SMA subjects > 2 years of age with severe, intermediate, and mild phenotypes. Primary outcome measures includes laboratory and physical examination assessments to monitor effects on liver, hematologic, metabolic and nutritional status. Secondary outcomes includes measures of gross motor function; electrophysiologic measures of denervation; DEXA estimates of body composition, bone mineral density and content; measures of pulmonary function; and quantitative SMN mRNA and protein levels in blood cells. Subjects will need 2-3 baseline visits over a 3 -6 month period prior to enrollment. Follow-up visits will be scheduled at 3, 6 and 12 months on treatment.

Study Design

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Study Type :	Interventional (Clinical Trial)
Enrollment :	42 participants
Allocation:	Non-Randomized
Intervention Model:	Single Group Assignment
Masking:	None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose:	Treatment
Official Title:	In Vivo Study of Safety, Tolerability and Dosing Effect on SMN mRNA and Protein Levels of Valproic Acid in Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Study Start Date :	September 2003
Study Completion Date :	February 2006

Arms and Interventions

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Outcome Measures

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Primary Outcome Measures :

1. To assess safety and tolerability of VPA in SMA patients greater than 2 years of age

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. To look for a potential in vivo effect of VPA on SMN mRNA in patient blood cells at routinely used clinical doses
2. Measures of gross motor function
3. Electrophysiologic measures of denervation
4. DEXA estimates of body composition, bone mineral density and content
5. Measures of pulmonary function

Eligibility Criteria

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Ages Eligible for Study:	2 Years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
Sexes Eligible for Study:	All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must have a diagnosis of SMA, confirmed by genetic testing
• Only patients 2 years of age and older at enrollment will be eligible

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients taking any medications with known hepatotoxicity, congenital metabolic disorders or on multiple anticonvulsant medications
• Patients taking medications which may interact with VPA
• Patients on ventilatory support for more than 16 hours per day
• Patients currently enrolled in other treatment trials

Contacts and Locations

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Locations

United States, Utah
University of Utah/Primary Children's Medical Center
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84132

Sponsors and Collaborators

University of Utah

Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Leadiant Biosciences, Inc.

Abbott

Investigators

Principal Investigator:	Kathryn J Swoboda, M.D	University of Utah/Primary Children's Medical Center

More Information

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Additional Information:

"Click here for more information about this study" 

Publications:

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Bromberg MB, Swoboda KJ. Motor unit number estimation in infants and children with spinal muscular atrophy. Muscle Nerve. 2002 Mar;25(3):445-7.

Swoboda KJ, Prior TW, Scott CB, McNaught TP, Wride MC, Reyna SP, Bromberg MB. Natural history of denervation in SMA: relation to age, SMN2 copy number, and function. Ann Neurol. 2005 May;57(5):704-12.

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Monani UR, Lorson CL, Parsons DW, Prior TW, Androphy EJ, Burghes AH, McPherson JD. A single nucleotide difference that alters splicing patterns distinguishes the SMA gene SMN1 from the copy gene SMN2. Hum Mol Genet. 1999 Jul;8(7):1177-83.

Campbell L, Potter A, Ignatius J, Dubowitz V, Davies K. Genomic variation and gene conversion in spinal muscular atrophy: implications for disease process and clinical phenotype. Am J Hum Genet. 1997 Jul;61(1):40-50.

Lefebvre S, Burlet P, Liu Q, Bertrandy S, Clermont O, Munnich A, Dreyfuss G, Melki J. Correlation between severity and SMN protein level in spinal muscular atrophy. Nat Genet. 1997 Jul;16(3):265-9.

Monani UR, Sendtner M, Coovert DD, Parsons DW, Andreassi C, Le TT, Jablonka S, Schrank B, Rossoll W, Prior TW, Morris GE, Burghes AH. The human centromeric survival motor neuron gene (SMN2) rescues embryonic lethality in Smn(-/-) mice and results in a mouse with spinal muscular atrophy. Hum Mol Genet. 2000 Feb 12;9(3):333-9. Erratum in: Hum Mol Genet. 2007 Nov 1;16(21):2648. Rossol, W [corrected to Rossoll, W].

Feldkötter M, Schwarzer V, Wirth R, Wienker TF, Wirth B. Quantitative analyses of SMN1 and SMN2 based on real-time lightCycler PCR: fast and highly reliable carrier testing and prediction of severity of spinal muscular atrophy. Am J Hum Genet. 2002 Feb;70(2):358-68. Epub 2001 Dec 21.

Mailman MD, Heinz JW, Papp AC, Snyder PJ, Sedra MS, Wirth B, Burghes AH, Prior TW. Molecular analysis of spinal muscular atrophy and modification of the phenotype by SMN2. Genet Med. 2002 Jan-Feb;4(1):20-6. doi: 10.1097/00125817-200201000-00004.

Fischer U, Liu Q, Dreyfuss G. The SMN-SIP1 complex has an essential role in spliceosomal snRNP biogenesis. Cell. 1997 Sep 19;90(6):1023-9.

Chang JG, Hsieh-Li HM, Jong YJ, Wang NM, Tsai CH, Li H. Treatment of spinal muscular atrophy by sodium butyrate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Aug 14;98(17):9808-13.

Andreassi C, Jarecki J, Zhou J, Coovert DD, Monani UR, Chen X, Whitney M, Pollok B, Zhang M, Androphy E, Burghes AH. Aclarubicin treatment restores SMN levels to cells derived from type I spinal muscular atrophy patients. Hum Mol Genet. 2001 Nov 15;10(24):2841-9.

Brichta L, Hofmann Y, Hahnen E, Siebzehnrubl FA, Raschke H, Blumcke I, Eyupoglu IY, Wirth B. Valproic acid increases the SMN2 protein level: a well-known drug as a potential therapy for spinal muscular atrophy. Hum Mol Genet. 2003 Oct 1;12(19):2481-9. Epub 2003 Jul 29.

Andreassi C, Angelozzi C, Tiziano FD, Vitali T, De Vincenzi E, Boninsegna A, Villanova M, Bertini E, Pini A, Neri G, Brahe C. Phenylbutyrate increases SMN expression in vitro: relevance for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. Eur J Hum Genet. 2004 Jan;12(1):59-65.

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Igarashi N, Sato T, Kyouya S. Secondary carnitine deficiency in handicapped patients receiving valproic acid and/or elemental diet. Acta Paediatr Jpn. 1990 Apr;32(2):139-45.

Thurston JH, Hauhart RE. Amelioration of adverse effects of valproic acid on ketogenesis and liver coenzyme A metabolism by cotreatment with pantothenate and carnitine in developing mice: possible clinical significance. Pediatr Res. 1992 Apr;31(4 Pt 1):419-23.

Tein I, DiMauro S, Xie ZW, De Vivo DC. Valproic acid impairs carnitine uptake in cultured human skin fibroblasts. An in vitro model for the pathogenesis of valproic acid-associated carnitine deficiency. Pediatr Res. 1993 Sep;34(3):281-7.

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Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):

Swoboda KJ, Scott CB, Reyna SP, Prior TW, LaSalle B, Sorenson SL, Wood J, Acsadi G, Crawford TO, Kissel JT, Krosschell KJ, D'Anjou G, Bromberg MB, Schroth MK, Chan GM, Elsheikh B, Simard LR. Phase II open label study of valproic acid in spinal muscular atrophy. PLoS One. 2009;4(5):e5268. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005268. Epub 2009 May 14.

Responsible Party:	Kathryn Swoboda, M.D., University of Utah
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00374075 History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers:	11893
First Posted:	September 8, 2006
Last Update Posted:	August 23, 2016
Last Verified:	August 2016

Keywords provided by Kathryn Swoboda, University of Utah:

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA); Valproic Acid

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Atrophy; Muscular Atrophy; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal; Spinal Cord Diseases; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Central Nervous System Diseases; Motor Neuron Disease; Neurodegenerative Diseases	Neuromuscular Diseases; Valproic Acid; Anticonvulsants; Enzyme Inhibitors; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; GABA Agents; Neurotransmitter Agents; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Antimanic Agents; Tranquilizing Agents; Central Nervous System Depressants; Psychotropic Drugs